Silence
by IAmKayDubs
Summary: Haru being generally very quiet and stoic has always been just fine, he and Makoto still get along perfectly. However, one day, when Makoto is fed up with one thing after another, he let's everything loose. He realizes too late that he may have messed things up beyond repair.


They are in love.

It is clear to anyone that looks at them. Makoto and Haru are in love, and nobody can deny it.

Makoto, of course, is usually the more verbal one, expressing his love in poetic little phrases and sweet words. Haru, on the other hand, is usually very quiet. His love is known, but hardly ever spoken out loud.

It's always been just fine that way.

Until one night, everything spirals downwards.

...

The fight has been going on for hours.

It started as a petty disagreement, but it ended up growing more intense. Makoto expressed his displeasure, but Haru said nothing. At all.

Makoto felt his face go red with anger as Haru practically brushed him off. Haru refused to say anything, retreating to their shared bedroom calmly.

Makoto went for a walk after that, feeling the breeze whistling in his ears. He tried to clear his mind, but Haru's stoic face remained imprinted on his mind.

When he returned, Haru was still shut in the bedroom. Makoto didn't go in to talk to him, as he usually would, for he knew nothing good would come of it.

Around dinner time, Haru came out of the bedroom and made a beeline for the kitchen. He tied on his apron, and began cooking as if nothing had ever happened.

It made Makoto furious.

Why couldn't Haru _try_ expressing himself better? Why did he lock everything away, letting it brew inside of his mind?

...

Haru cooks dinner in silence, and the two sit down to eat, not making eye contact.

It remains that way for a few minutes, until Makoto gets fed up.

"Why won't you just _talk_ to me, Haru?" Makoto snaps, his voice uncharacteristically harsh. "I want to fix things, but you won't let me!"

Haru stares at him for a moment, but he looks back down at his plate, resuming his meal as if Makoto had never spoken.

Makoto grits his teeth. Why...? Why is Haru _doing_ this?

Makot stands up quickly, slamming his hands on to the table, making it rattle.

Haru looks up, but, surprise surprise, he doesn't say anything.

"Haru, why are you doing this to me? Why are you being like this?" Makoto shouts. "In fact, it isn't just now, you're ALWAYS like this. Even if I need you, you never want to say anything!"

Haru sets his fork down. He drops the stoic look on his face. He is no longer angry, he is hurt.

But Makoto continues anyway, oblivious to Haru's change of state.

"You don't even say 'I love you', Haru! I know you give me all those looks, but they don't let me hear you!"

Haru's hands shake. He has never heard Makoto so angry at him...

"Do you even care about me at all, anymore? If you do, you have a pretty crappy way of showing it!"

Haru can't take it. He wants to cover his ears, he doesn't want to hear anymore.

"I'm just sick of this, Haru!" Makoto screams, and that is it.

Haru stands up as fast as he can, leaving the house hastily, not wanting Makoto to see the pained shine in his eyes.

Makoto unclenches the fist he doesn't remember making, as he starts to calm down.

With calming down comes realization of what he said.

_"No..."_ he whispers. He had snapped... He hurt Haru. He screwed up so badly... He might never get Haru back.

But that won't stop him from trying.

He sprints out the door, trying to think of where Haru would have gone. Water, presumably, but what water...? A pool, a lake, the ocean?

The ocean seems to be his best bet, so he goes there first. He runs as fast as he can, his legs pumping faster as he tries to reach the beach quickly.

His feet find the sand, and he searches for Haru. Is he even here...? Maybe not.

The beach is empty, the sand coated in soft white moonlight.

Makoto hears a splash.

He gets closer to the water, finding that Haru is swimming through the water, the small waves lapping at his body as he swims without a care.

Makoto's face goes pale. What if the waves picked up...? What if Haru got trapped in the choppy waters like Rei had, all that time ago...?

"Haru...!" Makoto shouts, his voice shaky.

Haru doesn't even look his way. This time, though, he just doesn't hear Makoto over the sound of the water.

Makoto shouts louder. "Haru! Haruka!"

Haru stops swimming, only for a second. He treads water, his face illuminated by the moon. He looks at Makoto, his face seemingly empty, but masking all of the pain from what Makoto had said earlier.

"H-Haru! Please, get out of the water. It's dangerous to swim in the ocean at night, you know that...!"

Haru stays right where he is, not knowing what to do. Should he stay and keep swimming, or go back...? He doesn't like how worried Makoto sounds...

Apparently he doesn't think fast enough, because Makoto strips his shirt and gets into the water himself, heading straight for Haru.

"Haru, come on... You can be mad at me, and you can hate me, but please just get out of the water... You know how dangerous the ocean can be!"

Haru can hear the distress in Makoto's voice. It's a tone he hardly ever hears with him, since Makoto usually smiles through everything, hiding any fear.

"Haru, please..."

Haru silently begins swimming towards the shore, and Makoto visibly relaxes, letting out a huge breath.

Haru reaches the shore, Makoto close behind. He shakes his hair out, the droplets rolling off rapidly and landing on the sand.

Makoto stands silently, looking at his feet, unable to meet Haru's eyes.

When Haru is done shaking the water off, he turns to face Makoto, who seems to be almost trembling.

Makoto takes in a breath, and he raises his head, finally able to look at Haru.

"Haru, I am so sorry... For everything. I didn't... I didn't mean to... I..." Makoto's words break off, his lips trembling slightly. He knows that Haru has no reason to forgive him, but the thought of losing everything between them... It hurts too badly.

"You have every reason to hate me, and I understand if you do. I just want you to know that none of what I said is true... I wasn't thinking straight, I said things I didn't mean..."

The silence is painful. The beach is absolutely quiet, with only the very faint sound of waves present.

"I don't hate you."

Makoto's eyes widen a bit, but he doesn't say anything. He has nothing to say...

"The reason your words hurt is because most of it was true..."

Makoto shakes his head. "No, Haru, it's not-"

"It is. I am terrible at saying things out loud, and I'm not always there for you emotionally," Haru says, his eyes locked on to Makoto's face.

"Haru, that's not true. You're fantastic, I just spoke without thinking-"

Once again, Haru wouldn't let him finish.

"No, you were right, and I'm so sorry for that... You deserve a lot more than I've given you, but you stay with me anyway."

Makoto's eyes start watering. He shakes his head feebly. "Haru... That's not true at all."

Haru drops his steady expression, his face returning to its usual look. He approaches Makoto, hating to see him cry, but forcing himself to make eye contact anyway. He grabs one of Makoto's hands, much larger and more calloused than his own. He squeezes it as tight as he can, a signal that everything will be okay.

Makoto sniffles, trying to stop himself from crying. He bites his lip, chewing on the corner.

"Makoto, look at me," Haru commands, his voice firm but gentle.

Makoto slowly lifts his eyes, daring to meet Haru's gaze. He takes in a deep breath, letting it out shakily.

"Makoto, you're right about me not saying 'I love you' enough. I... I've tried getting better at expressing myself, but it never really works out, and I end up reverting to just using my eyes to speak, like I always have..." Haru says softly. He has avoided Makoto's eyes while he speaks, but he suddenly locks on to them, and his own gaze holds something fiery that he isn't very familiar with. "Makoto, if I ever don't say 'I love you' enough... Please let me know, okay? Because you are loved... So loved, and you deserve to know it."

Makoto can't hold back any longer. He let's his tears flow. He's never heard Haru speak so kindly of him, at least not out loud... It means so much to him.

Makoto gathers Haru into a hug, pressing his lips to his forehead as the tears dry on his cheeks.

"Haru, I really am sorry for what I said... Even if you say it's true, it was uncalled for... I never wanted to hurt you..."

"Don't..." Haru shushes him. "It's fine, don't worry, okay? I understand..."

Haru leads Makoto to a patch of sand that is lit up by the moonlight. He pulls Makoto down beside him, laying down flat on the cool sand.

Makoto lays down too, and Haru curls up closer to him, realizing how cold he is in only his wet swim trunks.

Makoto runs a hand through Haru's hair, tangling his fingers in individual strands, idly twirling the ends. Makoto moves his head closer to Haru's, feeling his cheek press against Haru's forehead.

Silence has fallen over them once more, but this time it is beautiful, soft, and very welcome.

* * *

><p>AN: wow, despite having been in the free! fandom for over a year, this is still my first MakoHaru fic. I wrote like eight Rintori stories, but never really tried MakoHaru, but I guess there is a first time for everything.

I don't know if I did then justice...? Makoto might be ooc, but a bit of inspiration for this came from that fight at the end of the last episode (my heart ;-;), and in that, it's clear that Makoto can get very angry and harsh when he has to.

I quite enjoyed writing this, and I'm hoping it came out as well as I had hoped!

Thanks so much for reading!

-KayDubs


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